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You may not be an artist, but I think these look pretty good and some of your stuff that you have shown looks Darn good. Also, your craws are looking better too. So, if I may ask. What is the difference in the top one from the other two that makes work so well? also did you get to fish them and how did they do?

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If you go back five photos in the gallery, you'll find my photo of the three baits unpainted.

In both photos, the top lure has the movable ballast directly above the belly hook hanger, and also fully above the centerline of the bait, drawing a line from line tie to tail hook hanger.

In general, moving ballast higher up in a crank makes it more unstable. That's why almost all commercial cranks have their ballast in the belly, and on either side of the belly hook hanger.

I just took part of the 4.7 grams of ballast that the lure needed to achieve the right posture at rest, and, using two sst BB's that weigh .85 grams each, move part of the ballast up above the centerline.

Since the lead encased belly hanger has 3 grams of weight, that totals 4.7 grams, or close to it.

The two sst BB's are just about half the width of the crank, when laid side by side. Even with my recessed aluminum discs, the BB's travel more than a full BB side to side when the bait swims.

It isn't every time the bait X's, only about every 3-4'. I think that's because the BB's are moving too far.

I'm going to deepen the 5/16" countersink in my next bait, so the BB's don't travel as far, and see if that makes the bait more erratic, or just screws up a good thing.

I think, if I moved the BB hole back a little more from the nose the bait might not X as wildly as it does now. A tight Xing shad bait that hunts would make me very happy. Hahaha